Verified Services

Feb 18

Good morning, Father.
Thank you for all the small triumphs and all the learning opportunities in the past several days. Thank you for closeness and silliness and adventure with my Mate, and thank you for the awesomeness of the ability to slip off into the woods by myself at any time of any day, to explore the gorge and find new little spots to hang out with nature. Thank you for the little chickadees that came near and gave me nice footage yesterday, and thank you for the smell of fresh greens growing like crazy in the shady areas right now — chickweed and all its cool-loving buddies! Please help me to just enjoy what I have right now, and not ruin it with the realization that it will not last. Teach me what to do with the thoughts I have about how soon it will be HOT and the Texas sun will kill off all this lush green vegetation — and send me indoors or up north! THANK YOU for the little bits of comfort and hope I have received on that last possibility, Lord. I sincerely desire to just enjoy each day for what it is, however. I ask you to teach me how to do that better. Help me to grow in gratitude and contentment, faithful Shepherd. Amen.

Job 28:12-28 ERV

“But where can anyone find wisdom? Where can we get understanding?
People don’t know where wisdom is. It cannot be found by anyone on earth.
The deep ocean says, ‘It’s not here with me.’ The sea says, ‘It’s not here with me.’
You cannot buy wisdom with even the purest gold. There’s not enough silver in the world to pay for it.
You cannot buy it with gold from Ophir or with precious onyx or sapphires.
Wisdom is worth more than gold or crystal. It cannot be bought with expensive jewels set in gold.
It is far more valuable than coral and jasper, more precious than rubies.
The topaz from Ethiopia cannot match its value, which is greater than the purest gold.
“So where does wisdom come from? Where can we find understanding?
Wisdom is hidden from every living thing on earth. Even birds in the sky cannot see it.
Death and destruction say, ‘We have never seen wisdom; we have only heard rumors about it.’
“Only God knows the way to wisdom. Only he knows where wisdom is.
He can see to the very ends of the earth. He sees everything under the sky.
God gave the wind its power. He decided how big to make the oceans.
He decided where to send the rain and where the thunderstorms should go.
He looked at wisdom and discussed it. He examined it and saw how much it is worth.
Then he said to humans, ‘To fear and respect the Lord is wisdom. To turn away from evil is understanding.'”